Survey: Louisiana Private Workplace Injury, Illness Numbers Unchanged in 2018

The Louisiana Workforce Commission reports that the incidence rate of work-related injuries and illnesses among Louisiana’s private sector employers was essentially unchanged in 2018, according to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) survey.

The state’s employer-reported injury and illness private sector incidence rate has been on a downward trend over the past 17 years.

The incidence rate reported for private sector employers in Louisiana in 2018 was 1.8 incidents per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, previously reported as 1.9 in 2017. The national private sector incidence rate was reported as 2.8 in 2018.

There were 25.6 thousand nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported in Louisiana by private industry employers in 2018, a number that did not change significantly from 2017. This data are estimates from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII).

The state’s private sector incidence rate for multiple private industry sectors:

• Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting: (2017) 2.4 incidents to 1.2 incidents per 100 FTE workers in 2018.
• Management of companies and enterprises- (2017) 1.6 incidents to 0.9 incidents per 100 FTE workers in 2018.
• Real estate and rental and leasing – (2017) 1.5 incidents to 0.9 incidents per 100 FTE workers in 2018.
• Wholesale Trade – (2017) 1.9 incidents to 1.3 incidents per 100 FTE workers in 2018.
• Construction – (2017) 1.2 incidents to 0.8 incidents per 100 FTE workers in 2018.
• Manufacturing – (2017) 1.9 incidents to 1.5 incidents per 100 FTE workers in 2018.

Louisiana’s 2018 incidence rate was 57.3 cases per 10,000 FTE workers when considering nonfatal workplace injuries or illnesses resulting in days away from work (DAFW), previously reported as 64.7 cases per 10,000 FTE in 2017. National incidence rate was 89.7 cases per 10,000 FTE workers reported in 2018.

Of the 8,030 private industry DAFW cases in 2018, 30.6% of the injuries were sprains, strains and tears and 20.5% of the injuries were because of soreness/pain.

Injuries to the lower extremities which includes the leg, ankle and foot represented 27.3% and upper extremities represented 27.0% of reported cases with DAFW to the body.

Falls, slips, and trips accounted for 31.4% of the events/exposures of the DAFW cases. A common source of injury was floors, walkways and ground surfaces with 21.2% of reported cases with DAFW in Louisiana.

Source: LWC